What did the Tu-4 do that no other Soviet aircraft ever did before?
Operational history By the beginning of the 1960s, the only Tu-4s still operated by the Soviets were used for transport or airborne laboratory purposes. A Tu-4A was the first Soviet aircraft to drop a nuclear weapon, the RDS-3.
How many Tupolev TU 160 Does Russia have?
36
Tupolev Tu-160
| Tu-160 Belyy Lebed | |
|---|---|
| Status | In service, in production |
| Primary users | Russian Aerospace Forces Soviet Air Forces (historical) Ukrainian Air Force (historical) |
| Produced | 1984–1992, 2002, 2008, 2017, 2021– |
| Number built | 36 (9 test and 27 serial) |
How many B-29 bombers shot down?
B-29 gunners were credited with shooting down 27 enemy aircraft. In turn 78 B-29s were lost; 57 B-29 and reconnaissance variants were lost in action and 21 were non-combat losses.
What is a Tu-4 bomber?
The Tupolev Tu-4 ( Russian: Туполев Ту-4; NATO reporting name: Bull) is a piston-engined Soviet strategic bomber that served the Soviet Air Force from the late 1940s to mid-1960s. It was reverse-engineered from the American Boeing B-29 Superfortress .
What is the history of the Tupolev Tu-4?
The Tupolev concern was then ordered to simply copy the American design – thusly giving rise to the Tupolev “Tu-4”. First flight of the prototype was recorded on May 19th, 1947 with the aircraft formally adopted for service in 1949.
What were the Soviet Tu-4s used for?
By the beginning of the 1960s, the only Tu-4s still operated by the Soviets were used for transport or airborne laboratory purposes. A Tu-4A was the first Soviet aircraft to drop a nuclear weapon, the RDS-3.
Why did the Soviet Tu-4 weigh more than the US B-29?
Extensive re-engineering had to take place to compensate for the differences, and Soviet official strength margins had to be decreased to avoid further redesign. However despite those challenges, the prototype Tu-4 weighed only 340 kg (750 lb) more than the B-29, a difference of less than 1%.